Flexible plastic bag dispenser



Feb. 28, 1967 E. KUGLER 3,306,492

FLEXIBLE PLASTIC BAG DISPENSER Filed Aug. 22, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEN TOR. [MAM/4 @gzzg E. KUGLER FLEXIBLE PLASTIC BAG DISPENSER Feb. 28,1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 22, 1966 INVENTOR. [Jam/4:1 (ugzaeUnited States Patent 3,306,492 FLEXIBLE PLASTIC BAG DISPENSER EmanuelKugler, 124 Richmond Place, Lawrence, N.Y. 11418 Filed Aug. 22, 1966,Ser. No. 573,901 6 Claims. (Cl. 221-63) This invention relates generallyto flexible plastic bags and specifically to a plastic bag in which arecontained other and smaller plastic bags and which functions as adispensing package for such other bags. In accordance with theinvention, means are provided to allow automatic dispensing of thesmaller bags such that a consumer may move those bags one at a time fromthe dispensing bag using only one hand to perform that operation. Meansare also provided in the dispensing bag in accordance with the presentinvention to protect the inner bags from dirt and damage.

In many instances, it is convenient to use the now commerciallyavailable polyethylene film bags for all types of industrial and homepackaging. For example, it has become popular to package small bags forhome kitchen use with the bags attached to each other in an end-to-endrelationship with a perforated line between adjacent bags and with thebags rolled up onto a mandrel. The roll of bags, on its mandrel, ispackaged in a box for the consumer. The bags are pulled, one at a time,from the roll as they are needed by the housewife. Although this type ofstructure has achieved significant success, it has some notabledisadvantages including among others the requirement that the housewifeuse two hands in order to remove one bag from the group of others. Otherdisadvantages concern the large space required to store the structurewhich, for the most part, is empty space. A still further disadvantageis the high cost of this type of package.

Accordingly, applicant has designed an improved dispensing arrangementfor a stack of bags which finds particular use in the home consumerfield; analogous uses in industry are obvious to those having aknowledge of the bag industry. Generally, it is an object of the presentinvention to provide a package of bags from which the consumer mayremove individual bags, one at a time, in a one-handed operation, inwhich the individual bags are protected from dirt and from abrasion, inwhich there is a substantial cost savings over the normal rolled upstring of bags and in which there is a savings of storage space over therolled-up string of bags structure.

In his preferred embodiments of the present invention, applicant hasprovided a dispensing bag which contains other bags which may be removedfrom the dispensing bag one at a time. The dispensing bag is of ageneral overall flat configuration such that it may be pinned on to theinside of a cabinet door or upon any vertical surface, or, if desired,merely laid down on a fiat surface. The dispensing bag comprises a frontand rear wall which are sealed together to form an enclosure in which ispositioned a plurality of smaller consumer bags (bags to be used by theconsumer) each of which is superimposed upon the other in coextensiverelationship. A hole is formed in the front wall of the dispensing bagthrough which the consumer bags are pulled and means are provided largerthan the hole to protect the contained consumer bags from dirt and frommechanical harm. In one embodiment, the protection means comprises astrip of flexible See plastic material extending across the front wallof the bag on the outside surface thereof covering the access means andsecured to the opposite side edges of the dispensing bag. The protectivestrip may be easily pulled away from the dispensing bag to uncover theaccess means and thereby make the consumer bags available for use. Inanother form of the invention, the protection means comprises aninternal plastic, flexible sheet positioned above the stack of consumerbags but below the front wall and also coextensive with the accessopening in the front wall. At least .one slit is provided within theinternal protective sheet such that a consumer may reach with hisfingers into the slit grasping the uppermost bag and pull same from thedispensing bag. It is, of course, possible, for greater protection, toprovide both the internal and external protective strips in oneassembly.

The above brief description, as well as further objects, features andadvantages of the present invention, will be best appreciated byreference to the following detailed description of presently preferredembodiments of the invention when taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURES 1, 2 and 3 relate to a first embodiment of the invention andFIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a dispensing bag with anexternal protective strip;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view of the bag shown in FIGURE 1 taken alongthe line 22 of FIGURE 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view of the same bag taken along line 33 ofFIGURE 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmented, sectional and enlarged view of the samedispensing bag illustrating the removal of the external protective stripfrom the package;

FIGURE 5 is a partial elevational view of the bag with the externalprotective strip removed therefrom; and

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken along line 66 of FIGURE 5 andillustrating the removal by a consumer of one of the consumer bagscontained within the dispensing bag;

FIGURES 7, 8 and 9 relate to a second embodiment of the presentinvention wherein FIGURE 7 is a front elevational view generally similarto that of FIGURE 1, but showing a bag which includes both an externaland internal protective strip;

FIGURE 8 is a sectional view taken along the line 8-8 of FIGURE 7looking in the direction of the arrows and illustrating, in phantom, theremoval of the external protective strip; and

FIGURE 9 is a sectional view taken along line 9-9 of FIGURE 7 andlooking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURES 10, 11 and 12 are views illustrative of a third embodiment ofthe present invention wherein FIG- URE 10 is a front elevational viewsimilar to that of FIGURE 1 showing a dispensing bag which includes aninternal protective strip;

FIGURE 11 is a sectional view taken along line 11-11 of FIGURE 10 andlooking in the direction of the arrows; and

FIGURE 12 is a sectional view taken along line 1212 of FIGURE 10 andlooking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, there is shown in FIGURE 1 adispensing package generally designated by the numeral 10 whichcomprises an automatic plastic dispensing bag 12 in which is contained aplurality of smaller plastic bags 14 (referred to herein as consumerbags) of the type which will be used, one at a time, by the consumer.The dispensing bag contains a front wall 16, a rear wall 18 and a headerassembly 19 formed of the same material as the front and rear walls. Thebag is sealed to enclose the individual bags 14 at the side edges 20,the bottom edge 22 and the top edge 24.

Access means are provided through the front wall 16 by means of whichthe individual bags 14 may be removed, 7

one at a time, from the package 10. In the dispensing bag 12, the accessmeans comprises an oval-shaped opening or cutout 26 formed in agenerally central location in the front wall 16 and of a size adapted toallow free removal of the individual bags 14 contained therein.Reference to FIGURE 6 will show that removal of the individual bags 14is accomplished by pinching the outer surface of one of those bagsbetween two fingers of the hand and pulling the bag outwardly. Thus, ifthe dispensing bag 12 is hung on a vertical surface, such as byfasteners through the holes 19a formed in the header, the individualbags 14 may be easily plucked from the dispensing package by pullingsame outwardly in a horizontal direction. Obviously, the package mayalso be used on a horizontal work surface.

The individual bags 14 contained within the dispensing package 10 may beof any desired type and one type that has proved useful in such adispensing package is the type of plastic bag normally referred to as asandwich bag.

In accordance with the present invention, means are provided across thefront of the dispensing bag 12, at the location of the access opening orcutout 26, to keep the individual consumer bags 14 in clean andundamaged condition. In the dispensing package 10, such protection isafforded by means of a strip or section of flexible plastic materialwhich forms a security strip 28 of generally rectangular shape and whichoverlays the front wall 16 of the bag in the area of the access opening26. Specifically, the width of the security strip 28 is somewhat greaterthan the extent of the access opening 26 thereby to form a solid barrierpreventing the entry of dust into the interior of the dispensing bag 12.Furthermore, the security strip 28 provides a substantial physicalbarrier against mechanical abrasion of the individual consumer bags 14.In addition to these functions, the security strip effectively precludesthe removal of the individual bags 14 while the dispensing package 10 isdisplayed in a retail store.

The security strip 28 is removed from the dispensing package 10 andspecifically from its attachment to the dispensing bag 12 along the sideedges by simply pulling downwardly on the strip along the side edges 20.The security strip 28 is physically attached to the rest of thedispensing bag 12 preferably by heat seals along the edges 20. Inaddition or alternatively, a line of perforations may be formed in thesecurity strip immediately adjacent its securement to the bag 12,however, where the strip is secured to the side edges this wouldnormally not be necessary due an inherent feature of heat seals whichmakes the sealed material weak in the area immediately adjacent theseal. Thus, when the security strip 28 is pulled downwardly, it willnormally tear immediately adjacent the attachment to the bag 12, i.e.,at the side edges 20.

The structure of the dispensing package 10 will be best understood bythe following description of the use of the item. After purchasing theitem, the housewife, at or before the time she intends to use the firstindividual sandwich bag 14, tears the security strip 28 by pullingdownwardly thereon. The dispensing bag 12 may either be used laying flaton a surface or may be hung from the openings 19a in the header 19 onany convenient vertical surface, such as the inside of a kitchencabinet. An individual bag 14 is removed from the dispensing package 10simply by grasping the front surface of the forward most individual bag14 and pulling same outwardly. In addition to having the advantageousfeatures of onehanded ease of operation, this arrangement tends to pullthe walls of the individual bag 14 from each other thereby making sameeasier to open; this is in sharp contrast to the well-known rolled-upbags wherein the pulling of one bag from the next adjacent bag tends todraw the front and back surface of the individual bags into a tight anddifficult-to-open condition.

Reference will now be made to FIGURES 7, 8 and 9 which illustrate asecond embodiment of the present invention. In these figures there isshown a dispensing package generally designated by the numeral 40 whichincludes a dispensing bag 42 in which are contained a plurality ofcoextensive individual consumer bags 44 of the sandwich bag type. Thedispensing bag 42 comprises a front wall 46 and a rear wall 48 which arejoined at their side edges 54 along the bottom edge 52 and along the topedge of the internal chamber 54 to form a closed container for theindividual bags 44. A header 55 is formed at the upper edge of the bag42 in which is provided a plurality of openings 55a by which the entireassembly may be hung by a hook or thumb tack or the like on a verticalsurface. Access to the individual bags 44 within the dispensing bag 42is provided by an opening 56 formed in the front wall 46 in a mannercompletely similar to the opening 26 formed in the dispensing bag 12.Furthermore, a security strip 58 is provided across the width of thedispensing bag 42 from one side edge 50 to the other side edge and isjoined thereto by a tearable connection such that the security strip 58may be removed from the dispensing bag 42 in the same manner as thesecurity strip 28 described above. It will be seen that the dispensingbag 42, as described to this point, is virtually identical with thedispensing bag 12 described above. In addition to the foregoing,however, the dispensing bag 42 is provided with a slit-access retainingband 60 against the inside surface of the front wall 46 and whichextends along the width of the dispensing bag 42 from one side edge 58to the other. The band 60 is of a vertical extent somewhat greater thanthe size of the access opening 56. Thus, the slit-access retaining bandserves as a shield preventing dust or abrasion from harming theindividual bags 44 even after the security strip 58 is removed. Theslit-access retaining band 60 has formed therein a generally horizontalslit 62 which extends in the same direction as the greater dimension ofthe access opening 56. Since the slit-access retaining band 60 is formedof rather flexible material, a consumer may, after the security strip 58is removed, reach through the access opening 56 and through the slit 62in order to grasp one of the individual sandwich bags 54- and pull sameoutwardly through the flexible edges of the slit 62 and through theaccess opening or cutout 56.

It will be appreciated that a consumer uses the dispensing package 40 inexactly the manner described above for the dispensing package 10 exceptthat in addition to reaching into the access opening 26 in the bag 10,when using the bag 40, the user reaches through the access opening 56and the-n through the slit 62 in the slit-access retaining band 60.Because of the resilient characteristic of the material which is used toform the slit-access retaining band 60, the access orifice 56 isnormally closed by the band 60 thus preventing any dirt from soiling thematerials contained within the dispensing package 42.

Reference Will now be made to FIGURES 10, 11 and 12 for a description ofa still further embodiment of the present invention. There is shown inthese drawings a dispensing package generally designated by the numeralwhich includes a dispensing bag 72 in which is contained a plurality ofindividual items 74 to be dispensed, in this case individual consumerbags of the sandwich bag type. The dispensing bag 72 is formed with afront wall 76 and a rear wall 78 which are joined at the side edges 80,at the bottom edge 82 and at the top edge 84 and which has a header 85formed with appropriate openings 85a such that the bag 72 may be hung ona vertical surface. An access opening or cutout 86 is formed in thecentral portion of the front wall 76 to provide access means whereby theconsumer may remove the sandwich bag 74, one at a time, from theinternal cavity in the bag 72. In order to provide protection againstdust and abrasion, both while the dispensing bag is stored prior to useand during the period of time when it is in actual dispensing use, thereis provided a slit-access retaining band 88 which extends from side toside of the dispensing bag 72 and is slightly greater in verticaldimension than the size of the access opening 86. The slit-accessretaining band is positioned immediately beneath the front wall 76 andis secured to the bag 72 by heat sealing along the edges 80. A slit 90is provided in the middle of the slitaccess retaining band 88 such thatthe consumer may spread open the slit 90 to reach into the internalcavity within the dispensing bag 72 in order to remove the individualbags 74 therefrom. It is possible to form the slit 90 with a series ofperforations which are broken by the consumer when the dispensing bag 12is put into initial use, however, normally, the slit 90 will be formedas a continuous cut in the material which forms the slitaccess retainingband 88. Due to the flexible and somewhat resilient nature of theplastic sheet material used for the band 88, the slit 90 will bemaintained in its closed position thus preventing the entry of dust.into the inten'or of the bags 72 and preventing any mechanical abrasionof the contents thereof. The slit-access retaining bands 88 and 60 maybe formed of two separate individual sheets of material which aremounted in their respective dispensing bags with two of their edges inabutting relationship thereby forming a structure completely analogousto those depicted in the drawings wherein the slits rather than beingcut into the sheet material itself are formed by two abutting edges ofparallel strips of sheet material.

The dispensing bag 72 shown in the dispensing package 70, does notprovide the degree of mechanical protection which one finds in thedispensing bag 42 in the dispensing package 40 described above. However,in many instances, the protection alforded by the bag 72 will besufiicient and thus it will be possible to avoid the increased costs ofthe bag 42 as compare-d to the bag 72 (the addition of expense caused bythe provision of the security strip 58).

It will be appreciated that there is provided in accordance with thepresent invention a dispensing bag arrangement in which a consumer mayremove individual sheet items, such as small sandwich bags; one at atime, from a flat dispensing package and may do so in a one-handedoperation. Furthermore, it should be appreciated by those skilled in theart that applicants structures, as described herein, provide arelatively inexpensive overall structure for accomplishing thesepurposes while nevertheless pro ducing a product of superior advantagesfrom the point of view of ease of operation, cleanliness andspace-saving characteristics.

Although three specific embodiments of the present invention have beendescribed and illustrated herein, it will be appreciated that designchanges may be made varying in some particulars from the specificstructures shown without departing from the spirit and scopeof theinvention. Accordingly, the following claims should be construed in amanner consistent with the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. A dispensing package of flexible plastic consumer bags comprising, incombination, a dispensing bag having a front wall, a rear wall joined tosaid front wall at top, bottom and side edges forming an internalchamber, and a header assembly having means for hanging said dispensingbag from a vertical surface, said front wall having an access openingformed therein comprising a cutout providing communication from outsideof said internal chamber into said internal chamber, a plurality of flatconsume-r bags positioned one on top of another within said internalchamber and generally parallel to said front and rear walls with theuppermost consumer bag being positioned against the inside surface ofsaid front wall and accessible through said access opening, a securitystrip overlaying said front wall at said access opening comprising asection of plastic material joined to said dispensing bag at said sideedges and being removable therefrom by a tearing action for opening saidaccess opening, said dispensing package having a slit-access retainingband formed of resilient, flexible sheet material positioned betweensaid uppermost consumer bag and said inside surface of said front wall,lying flat thereagainst and covering said access opening, said slitaccess retaining band being secured to said dispensing bag at said sideedges, said slit access retaining band having a generally linear slitformed therein and lying across said access opening, said slit normallybeing closed with its edges in abutting relationship and beingopenablewhen said edges are spread apart, said consumer bags beingaccessible when said slit is spread apart and being protected when saidslit is closed.

2. A dispensing package of flexible plastic consumer bags comprising, incombination, a dispensing bag having a front wall, a rear Wall joined tosaid front wall at top, bottom and side edges forming an internalchamber, and a header assembly having means for hanging said dispensingbag from a vertical surface, said front wall having an access openingformed therein comprising a cutout providing communication from outsideof said internal chamber into said internal chamber, a plurality of flatconsumer bags positioned one on top of another within said internalchamber and generally parallel to said front and rear walls with theuppermost consumer bag being positioned against the inside surface ofsaid front wall and accessible through said access opening, a securitystrip overlaying said front wall at said access opening comprising asection of plastic material joined to said dispensing bag at said sideedges and being removable therefrom by a tearing action for opening saidaccess opening, said consumer bags being accessible when said securitystrip is removed from said dispensing bag.

3. A dispensing package of flexible plastic consumer bags comprising, incombination, a dispensing bag having a front wall, a rear wall joined tosaid front wall at top, bottom and side edges forming an internalchamber, and a header assembly having means for hanging said dispensingbag from a vertical surface, said front wall having an access openingformed therein comprising a cutout providing communication from outsideof said internal chamber into said internal chamber, a plurality of flatconsumer bags positioned one on top of another within said internalchamber and generally parallel to said front and rear Walls with theuppermost consumer bag being positioned against the inside surface ofsaid front wall and accessible through said access opening, saiddispensing package having a slit-access retaining band formed ofresilient, flexible sheet material positioned between said uppermostconsumer bag and said inside surface of said front wall, lying flatthereagainst and covering said access opening, said slit accessretaining band being secured to said dispensing bag at said sideedges,said slit access retaining band having a generally linear slit formedtherein and lying across said access opening, said slit normally beingclosed with its edges in abutting relationship and being openable whensaid edges are spread apart, said consumer bags being accessible whensaid slit is spread apart and being protected when said slit is closed.

4. A package in accordance with claim 1 wherein said security strip andsaid slit access retaining band are se- 7 8 cured to said bag by heatseals at the side edges of said References Cited by the Examiner bag.

5. A package in accordance With claim 2 wherein said UNITED STATESPATENTS security strip is secured to said bag by heat seals at the3,193,137 7/1965 McCarthy at 22148 Side edges of Said bag 5 3,239,0973/1966 Bates et al. 22143 6. A package in accordance with claim 3wherein said slit access retaining band is secured to said bag by heatROBERT REEVES P'lmary Examiner seals at the side edges of said bag. S.H. TOLLBERG, Assistant Examiner.

2. A DISPENSING PACKAGE OF FLEXIBLE PLASTIC CONSUMER BAGS COMPRISING, INCOMBINATION, A DISPENSING BAG HAVING A FRONT WALL, A REAR WALL JOINED TOSAID FRONT WALL AT TOP, BOTTOM AND SIDE EDGES FORMING AN INTERNALCHAMBER, AND A HEADER ASSEMBLY HAVING MEANS FOR HANGING SAID DISPENSINGBAG FROM A VERTICAL SURFACE, SAID FRONT WALL HAVING AN ACCESS OPENINGFORMED THEREIN COMPRISING A CUTOUT PROVIDING COMMUNICATION FROM OUTSIDEOF SAID INTERNAL CHAMBER INTO SAID INTERNAL CHAMBER, A PLURALITY OF FLATCONSUMER BAGS POSITIONED ONE ON TOP OF ANOTHER WITHIN SAID INTERNALCHAMBER AND GENERALLY PARALLEL TO SAID FRONT AND REAR WALLS WITH THEUPPERMOST CONSUMER BAG BEING POSITIONED AGAINST THE INSIDE SURFACE OFSAID FRONT WALL AND ACCESSIBLE THROUGH SAID ACCESS OPENING, A SECURITYSTRIP OVERLAYING SAID FRONT WALL AT SAID ACCESS OPENING COMPRISING ASECTION OF PLASTIC MATERIAL JOINED TO SAID DIS-